OTTAWA - The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) bargaining team and the National Gallery of Canada are pleased to announce that they have concluded a tentative agreement yesterday for the 200 workers currently on strike at the Gallery and at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography.

"We are very pleased to have concluded these negotiations" said Pierre Théberge, Director of the National Gallery of Canada. "With this agreement, we look forward to working together to continue providing high quality programming to the public", added Théberge.

Details of the tentative agreement will not be released until after the members’ vote. A meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, July 13.

The PSAC bargaining team will unanimously recommend the acceptation of this three-year collective agreement.

Negotiations between members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 70397 and the National Gallery of Canada broke off in March 2001. The 200 workers at the National Gallery of Canada and at the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography have been on strike since May 10.

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For information:

Jim Prowse, president and member of the bargaining team, Local 70397 - PSAC
NGC and CMCP strike headquarters, 200 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa - (613) 244-0951
Pierre Lebel, communications officer, PSAC - (613) 560-5482
Joanne Charette, Director, Public Affairs, National Gallery of Canada - (613) 990-5050

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